Behind the make-up of Aladdin and The Lion King with Disney and MAC Cosmetics

Backstage at the Prince Edward Theatre

Yesterday morning I went backstage in London's west end to discover the make-up behind two Disney musicals, The Lion King and Aladdin.

In a special event masterminded by Disney and MAC Cosmetics, we saw four of the characters being made up for their matinee performances. For every character we saw in costume, a MAC senior artist had created a wearable interpretation of the look next to the character.

Let’s take a look at all of the action straight from the stage at the Prince Edward Theatre…

Nala from The Lion King

Nala was my favourite character from the day.

Her theatrical make-up consisted of rich, warm colours, painted on to create something tribal and animalistic.

On the MAC team was Rebecca who created a moroccan inspired warm beauty make-up. She wanted to “evoke the idea of Nala without creating a direct copy; this look mirrors the sun baked savannas that sit as the backdrop of The Lion King.”

Her key products were eyeshadows in Embark, Amber Lights and Red Brick, and Chromaline Liner in Genuine Orange.

Rafiki from The Lion King

Rafiki’s theatrical make-up consisted of lots of paint in primary colours; it was bold and opaque.

Rebecca had designed the look for the MAC interpretation of Rafiki, and Rachel was on hand to make it happen.

Rachel said that the colours in this look were almost as though you had taken the primary colours from Rafiki’s costume and put an Instagram filter onto them. “The yellow becomes gold, the blue becomes turquoise and the red becomes rose.”

Her key products were the pink palette from the new Fruity Juicy collection, Paint Pot in Rubenesque, Chromagraphic pencil in Hi-def Cyan and Gold Mine eyeshadow.

Genie from Aladdin

Genie’s theatrical make-up was one of the most impressive because it was so simple. Despite only really needing a specific brow and eye shape, he was instantly recognisable as the genie when these were applied.

Dominic was on hand to create the MAC inspired look, one that he wanted to capture the feel of the show. He said he was inspired by “the pinks and purples of the sky. The genie can be more mystical and magical. We can have more fun with the genie, as opposed to Jasmine who is meant to be more pretty than fun.”

His key products were Lipstick in Dream Pot, Skinfinish powders in Gold Deposit and Oh Darling! and Ms. Saucy shadow.

Jasmine from Aladdin

In terms of studying the differences between theatrical and everyday make-up, Jasmine’s make-up was fascinating because it was essentially a similar makeover but with different elements of lasting power.

Cher’s MAC take on the Jasmine look consisted of the most beautiful, soft skin, dewy and delicate because it didn’t have to withhold the bright lights of the stage.

Her key products were Strobe Cream, accentuated with Soft and Gentle, the Warm Neutrals palette and gloss in Stepping Out.

After our morning with the artists we got to watch one of the musicals and my friend and I had chosen The Lion King. I’ve always wanted to see it and it was wonderful to get to watch it after having met the cast because they all spoke so warmly about the family involved in the show.

What struck me was that although the costumes and make-up were all on the actors themselves, you almost forgot that you were watching people and instead felt immersed in the journey of the animals in the wild.

It was such a beautiful show and reduced me to tears, I’d really recommend it for anyone that loves Disney. Hearing the songs that you know so well with a live orchestra and the amazing singers in the cast was beautiful.

Be sure to check out the MAC team on Instagram for their endless updates and sneak peeks.